Disk-record-replaying device



E. S. THOMPSON.

DISK RECORD REPLAYING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB-26, I917. RENEWED APR. 24; 1918.

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i aaairai To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that T, ERNEST S. THoMP- soN, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Detroit, in the county of Wayne and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Disk-Record-Replaying Devices, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompan ing drawings.

T is invention relates to sound producing devices and refers more particularly to the provision of mechanism for automati- 'cally replaying disk records or the like.

Among the objects of the invention are to provide a construction which can be attached to phonographs or other disk record playing devices so as to automatically replay the record two or more times; to provide a construction which can be used with the record playing device, either as standard equipment or as an attachment without changing the construction of the other mechanism; to so construct and arrange the replaying device that it can be set to take care of records of difierent sizes and the shifting of the clutch is preferably overned by movement of the needle soun ing arm; to provide a construction whereby the needle at the end of the playing of the record is automatically raised, reversed to its initial position and again let down on the record; to provide a construction in which the replaying mechanism is operated from a drive connection to the record plate or other moving part of the record playing device, and in general to provide a new and improved construction of the character above referred to.

The invention also resides in the novel shifting and locking mechanisms and such other details of construction and arrangements and combinations of parts as will more fully hereinafter appear.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view, partly broken away, showing my device in use;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary top plan view partly in section of the replaying mechanism, the aim being adjusted substantially toward its inner position;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line ea-m Fig. 2;

Specification of matters Patent. Patented Apr. $5 1923 Application filed. February 28, 1917, Serial Ito. 150,937. Renewed heart! as,

rare. seen in. states.

Fig. 4c is a side elevational view of the lifting cam mechanism; and

Fig. 5 is a vertical section on the line y-y ofFig. 2.

Describing in detail the embodiment of my invention shown in the drawings, A designates the record carrying plate revolubly mounted ona spindle B so as to rotate the record C when the latter is placed upon the plate. The usual needle D operates in the grooves C of'the record and as the record is played the disk E carrying the needle is shifted toward the center from the outer edge C to the inner end of the groove C The needle carrying disk is carried by sounding arm F pivotally mounted on the upper surface of the stand or supporting member Gr. The latter also carries the base H of the replaying mechanism, the

detail construction and operation of whichmechanism is as follows: Projecting upward from the base H is a stationary post 1 upon which is revolubly mounted a sleeve J carrying an arm J which at its outer end is provided with a pivoted seat J fitting under the needle carrying arm F, the arrangement being such that as. the needle carrying arm swings from side to side the sleeve J will be rotated about the post I. Surrounding the lower end of the sleeve J is a cam sleeve T and a worm gear L meshing with a worm shaft M revolubly mounted in the blocks M and M This worm shaft at its inner end has a bevel gear N meshing with an idler gear N which in turn meshes with the bevel gear N loosely mounted on the shaft 0. The drive connection to' the replaying mechanism is obtained through the shaft 0 which extends through the bearing 0 and at its inner end vhas a bevel pinion meshing with the bevel gear 0 on the record carrying plate A. It is to be understood, however, that the invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the particular shaft drive shown. Splined to the outer end of the shaft 0 is a dog clutch P havin at its opposite ends locking lugs P and clutch is shifted to the position shown'in Fig. 3 it will lock the pinion N to the shaft 0 and drive the worm shaft M through the gears N N and N. When, however, it is shifted to the position shown in Fig. 2 the worm shaft will be discon- 2 so that when the i N and thus connect the worm shaft sleeve'J will be raised so as to lift the needle away from the record, after which the arm F will be swung back to carry the needle to a position near the outer edge of the record. The needle will then be lowered automatically into contact with the record and permitted to again move across the face of the record in the usual manner.

A suitable gear shifter is employed, -having a yoke Q engaging the clutch P and an arm Q engageable with a ball friction lock R and a pair of arms Q and Q extending into' the path of the lugs L and L carried on the worm wheel L. The shifter also has an upwardly extending arm Q positioned in the path of an adjustable stop R carried by a rod R secured to the arm J by-a set screw R The ball lock R is mounted within a housing S and normally pressed upward by a spring S. When the parts are in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the clutch is in neutral and the arm Q is held part way ii p on the ball lock R by means of the lug L.

he parts remain in this position until the needle D has traveled across the record to the inner groove C When it reaches this groove the adjustable stop R hits against the arm Q of the gear shifter and rocks the latter about its pivot W so as to carry the arm Q onto the opposite side of the friction lock R in which position the worm shaft M is clutched to the shaft 0 through the gears N, N and N This causes the worm wheel L to. rotate in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 2, thus carrying the pin T" beneath the inclined surface T ofthe sleeve T and raising the latter and the sleeve J so as to withdraw the needle from engagement with the record and hold' it clear of the latter. As the worm wheel continues to rotate the pin T will finally abut against the shoulder T and thus carry the sleeve and tone arm back toward the outer side of the record. After the tone arm has reached the desired position at the outer edge of the record the lug L striking against the arm Q,

I of the gear shifter will rock the latter so as to swing the arm Q upon the opposite side of the center of the ball R where it is free to move down the ball and move the clutch to enga e its pins P with the recesses in the gear and thus cou le the worm shaft M directly to the shaft This will cause the worm wheel L to rotate in the opposite direction until its pin L hits against the arm Q and carries thearm Q of the gear shifter up on to the ball R. As soon, however, as this arm has ridden up on to the ball a sufficient distance to move the clutch into neutral position, the drive connection to the member L will be disconnected and thus by stoppingthe movement of the pin L will lock the parts in neutral position.

. It will, of course, be understood that this operation will be repeated as long as the record plate is rotated. To permit records of different sizes being used the sleeve T is provided with a set screw V which can be engaged with various notches V in the sleeve J). While I have shown the invention applied to a construction having a sounding arm which lifts up throughout substantially its entire length, it could, of course, be employed with constructions in which merely the outer end of the arm is raised and with for said needle-carrying member, a drive connection between said record-carrying member and lifting member, a reversible clutch mechanism for throwing said drive connection into operation in either direction, means controlled by movement of the needle-carrying member for throwing the clutch into operation so as to operate the drive connection in one direction, and means controlled by movement of the drive connection for throwing the clutch to operate the drive connection in the opposite direction.

2. In a playing device for spirally grooved disk records, the combination with a rotatable record-carryin member, of a needlecarrying member a5 across the record when its needle is engaged with the groove of a record and said recordcarrying member rotated, a lifting member for said needle-carrying member, a drive connection between said record-carrying member and lifting member, said drive connection comprising a rotatable shaft, a clutch for connecting said shaft to be driven from the record-carrying member in either direction, and an automatic clutch shifter comprisin 'a plate and an inclined surface over whic the late is moved-to automatically shift the c utch.

3. In a playing device for spirally grooved disk records, the combination with a rotatable record carrying member, of a needle carrying member adapted to be advanced apted to be advanced I arem? across the record when its; needle is engaged with the groove of a record and said record carrying member rotated, a lifting member for said needle carrying member, a 0st on which said lifting member is slidably engaged and a member rotative axially of said post having a cam engagement with said lifting member for automatically raising the latter upon the needle-carrying member reaching its inner limit of travel.

4. In a playing device for spirally grooved disk records, the combination with a rotatable record carryin member, of a needle carrying member a apted to be advanced across the record when its needle is engaged with the groove of a record and said record carrying member rotated, a lifting member for said needle carrying member, mechanism for driving said llfting member, a clutch controlling the drive to said member, a; shifter for said clutch, and means carried by said driving member engageable in a certain position thereof with the shifter to actuate the clutch.

5. In a playing device for spirall grooved disk records, the combination wit a rotatable record carryin member, of a needle carrying member a apted to be advanced across the record when its needle is engaged with the groove of a record and said record carrying member rotated, a lifting member for said needle carr ing member, drive mechanism for said 1i ing member includin a clutch mechanism for establishing the drive in either direction, means controlled by movement of the needle carrying member for controlling the clutch into operation so as to operate the drive connection in one direction, and means controlled by movement of the drive connection for throwing the clutch to operate the drive connection in the opposite direction.

6. In a playing device for spirally grooved disk records, the combination with a rotatable record carryin member, of a needle carryin member a apted to be advanced across t e record when its needle is engaged with the groove of a record and said record carrying member rotated, a lifting member for said needle ca ing member, drive mechanism for said li ing memberinclud inga clutch for establishing the drive in either direction, and an automatic clutch shifter comprisin a plate, and an inclined surface over whic the plate is moved to antomatically shift the clutch.

In testimon whereof I afl'ix myaslggnature.

llRNZEST S. THO SON. 

